Colchester United’s survival hopes suffered a blow this afternoon after they were beaten 2-1 by fellow strugglers Gillingham in a keenly-contested Boxing Day clash.

The U’s trailed by two goals at the break and although substitute Sammie Szmodics pulled a goal back early in the second half, it was not enough to prevent them from falling to a fourth successive home league defeat, in front of 4,544, the biggest crowd of the season at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Colchester came agonisingly close to scoring inside the opening five minutes through the impressive Gavin Massey, who skipped past John Egan and unleashed a shot which crashed against the underside of the crossbar.

The U’s enjoyed the better share of possession in the opening quarter of the contest but they fell behind against the run of play after 25 minutes.

Joe Martin, who was a pre-season trialist with the U’s during John Ward’s reign in charge, clinically fired home first-time at the far post after U’s defender Kaspars Gorkss had inadvertently helped on former Witham Town attacker Cody McDonald had raced down the U’s left and crossed.

Colchester soon found themselves two goals down, ten minutes later.

After McDonald had once again found space down the U’s left, he picked out the unmarked Bradley Dack who turned home at the near post.

Massey came close to pulling a goal back for Colchester six minutes before half-time when his close-range shot was palmed over by Gills goalkeeper Stuart Nelson.

Colchester made a half-time substitution, bringing on Sammie Szmodics for Craig Eastmond in midfield.

And it had the desired effect when Szmodics turned in from Sean Clohessy’s pass, despite Max Ehmer’s best efforts to keep the shot out on his own goal-line.

Nelson brilliantly denied Freddie Sears late on and Szmodics had an injury-time header disallowed for offside, as the U’s suffered another home defeat.

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